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Sound Harley hosts start of 'Puppy Putt' June 19

SMOKEY POINT — Motorcycle riders will be taking to the roads on behalf on guide dogs June 19, and Sound Harley-Davidson is taking part.

Registration starts at 9 a.m. for the eighth annual "Puppy Putt," a charity motorcycle ride to benefit Guide Dogs of America, with the ride itself rolling out at 10 a.m.

Riders from Sound Harley-Davidson and Northwest Harley-Davidson in Lacey will ride toward Renton, stopping at sponsors along the way.

The two groups will meet at the end of the poker run at Downtown Harley-Davidson, located at 3715 East Valley Rd. in Renton, for an afternoon of celebration that will include music, food, drinks and a motorcycle show.

Advance registration costs $25 per rider and $10 per passenger, if done prior to June 5. Registration information is available at www.puppyputt.com. Day-of registration costs $30.

Last year's event attracted more than 150 riders, and raised more than $23,000 for Guide Dogs of America. The Harley-Davidson dealers are major sponsors of the event, but organizers have declared Puppy Putt to be open to "all breeds" of motorcycles and riders.

The event is organized by District 751 of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers. The union is a major supporter of Guide Dogs of America, which trains and provides seeing-eye dogs for people across the United States and Canada who are blind or have impaired vision.

In 2009, District 751 — which represents hourly workers at Boeing and 42 other employers across Washington and California — raised more than a quarter-million dollars for Guide Dogs of America.

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